Argan oil is well known in MoroccoIt is their liquid gold in the same way that olive oil is for us. It is widely used both medicinally to treat the skin and for food, since it has been found to have magnificent properties.
The Berbers of Morocco they consumed argan oil daily, a basic component in their diet to take care of their health.
Argan oil is the most expensive in the world, a bottle of oil of a size of 20 cl It costs around 17€. So it is a good that is not available to many on a continuous basis.
Argan characteristics
Argan too it is known as spiny wild oliveIt belongs to the sapotaceae family, it has a leathery leaf and small yellow flowers. The plant bears a very slow-growing date-like fruit because it can take between 5 or 6 years to bear its first fruit.
We can find it in Morocco naturally on the Saharan border. In areas of Mexico and Andalusia we found a few specimens.
The oil is obtained from these small fruits, when they begin to ripen in the summer months they are harvested or, the fallen fruits of the tree once mature or after being eaten and discarded by the goats that come to climb the treetops.
Argan oil properties
This argan oil can be used both as an element for cooking or in cosmetics. But we will focus on the properties it has when consumed.
- 80% essential fatty acids.
- Three times more vitamin E than olive oil.
- It is a powerful Antioxidant.
- It is antiseptic.
- Antifungal.
Types of oil and how it is obtained
There are two types of oil, the cold-pressed natural oil and the "Berber" artisan type, cold-pressed in the same way but with roasted seeds. The latter is widely used in cooking and is prized for its toasted nutty flavor.
Obtaining the oil is completely handmade, therefore it is also an exclusive and more expensive value. It is a very laborious product, its process has the following steps:
- There are no industrial factories to get this oil.
- 100 kilos of ripe fruit translates into 50 liters of water, 22 kilos of dried pulp, 25 kilos of peels that are used to make fire and only 3 kilos of pipes.
- The oil is extracted from the pipes.
- Each bone is split and contains 3 pipes the size of pumpkin seeds.
- These pipes are ground with the help of a rustic mill until an opaque and thick honey appears, it begins to drip through the mill.
- This paste rests for a week and after time it is shaped into small balls that they drain little by little until obtaining the oil.
The oil obtained is light and transparent, more digestive and lighter than olive oil, is brown and its flavor is pleasant although stronger.
Medicinal properties
This oil has many aspects in common with olive oil, although we highlight that it is richer in Vitamin E and has a high content of linoleic acid.
Next, we tell you what are the best medicinal properties that this argan oil gives us.
- Its fatty acids are beneficial to lower cholesterol.
- Prevents cardiovascular diseases.
- It is used to increase male and female fertility.
- It has properties anticancer. Reduces the risk of breast cancer.
- It has nutritional properties that are beneficial for hypertensive people.
Argan oil it can be obtained in specific stores. The ideal is to go to a herbalist to make sure that what we buy is of good quality.
Argan oil must be differentiated to cosmetic use and argan oil for own consumption. They are not exactly the same since some have components that are neither edible nor suitable for consumption. Find the argan oil that interests you the most and ask any questions regarding the product to the specialist.